The term “work order” is known in the engineering field as the documentation authorizing a project. It describes the project—both technically and financially. It is a unit of work for which a certain number of dollars have been authorized with respect to an existing or potential project at a designated site. When created, a work order is normally assigned an identifier. Those in the field refer to this as the “activity number.”
Work orders oftentimes comprise vast paper documentation containing information. This information includes, e.g., what work is going to be done, why, and how much the project will cost. Also included is identification of exactly what entity will be performing the work, and where. A work order will also usually contain scheduling information. For example, it will include information on when certain items must be paid for, and when work is scheduled for completion.
The work order is normally implemented once a written request has been received which authorizes the project. Next, it provides information indicating what work will be required to complete the project. Finally, it is used to monitor the billing necessary, and also to issue a final bill once the project is completed.
A separate process regarding an engineering project normally coexists. This second process involves additional documentation referred to as the project's “specification.” Each project will typically have both a work order and a separately maintained specification.
A specification is an exact and specific bill of particulars for the project. It describes the materials, exact dimensions, and workmanship for the thing that is being installed, built, or manufactured as part of the project.
The two processes, though separate, overlap considerably in areas. Nevertheless, the two have completely different process states. With the traditional work order process, the initial state is referred to as the “unapproved state.” At this point in the process, the scope of work is developed, scheduling occurs, team members are designated, finances are estimated and forecast, among other things. The next state in the work order process known as the “approved state.” This is the point of time in the process where the appropriate parties have given the proper authorization of the work order. After approval, the next state of the work order process is referred to as the “in service.” This occurs when the work associated with the project is completed. After the in service stage of the process, the next state in the traditional process is referred to as the “pre-closing” state. This state involves accounting, financial and other post-project wrap-up measures. Purchase orders are forbidden, depreciation is begun, and further charges are prevented from hitting the work order. In the final state change, the work order is officially closed.
The traditional specification states include the not released (NRL), released from engineering (REL), as built (ASB), ABESA, and archive (ARC). These states mostly occur at the same time as each of the steps in the work order process, but they are maintained on a completely separate track. Because of this two-track prior-art arrangement, resources are wasted because many of the steps of each are duplicative. It also makes cross-communication between the finance-side persons typically participating in the work order process, and the engineering types normally more closely affiliated with the specification process unacceptably rare. This lack of communications can lead to business mistakes, and also makes document sharing difficult.
Historically, both the work order and specification processes have been time-consuming and resource-intensive. Typically, work order and specification documents have been created using a variety of software programs. These software programs create native documents. For other persons to view documents electronically that were created in certain applications, those people must have the respective native applications installed on their computers. If someone created a document in WordPerfect® for example, then those persons wishing to view the document must have WordPerfect® installed on their computers.
After the work order and specification documents have been generated in various native applications, the documents are printed and manually assembled.
With respect to the specification, e.g., if multiple parties are responsible for generating the document, then those parties must manually conglomerate their documents to create an engineering specification. Thus, if a first person in New York is responsible for generating engineering drawings, and a second person in Texas is responsible for creating an implementation schedule, then those documents must typically be mailed to each person to create a complete engineering specification. This process must be performed for as many persons that are in geographically disparate locations.
The work order side of the process also has these disadvantages. If a finance person at one location is responsible for suggesting cost adjustments, and a group of other persons in a plurality of other locations are responsible for approval of cost adjustments, the painstaking and time-consuming task of creating and then mailing the cost-adjustment paperwork to the plurality of approvers will be required.
With respect to both the work order and specification processes, copies of documentation must be provided for numerous individuals working in connection with the specific project. For example, if a team includes one manager, five supervisors, and ten engineers, then sixteen copies of the specification must be generated. Some of the documents involved may be hundreds of pages long. Specifications may be bound after being copied. The copying and binding process can contribute considerable expense and time to these processes. The costly copies must then be disseminated to the various parties of interest.
The delivery process is typically a manual process. It typically relies on conventional mailing means such as the United States Postal Service or a courier service such as that offered by Federal Express®. The engineering specifications and sensitive financial information included in work orders are typically of a sensitive, confidential nature, which can be compromised by having to use a conventional mailing service. Significant costs are often associated with the mailing and dissemination process.
Another problem is the separateness of the work order versus specification processes. Individuals often need documentation related to each. Because of lack of communications, it may be difficult for a person to determine what stage each process is in. It may also be difficult to locate the proper documentation. For example, the specification and work order documents may be saved on different computers in a local area network (LAN). The interfacing necessary to obtain the necessary documents will occur between separate computers on the system, or occur between individuals directly. There is no common interface, or portal, which may be relied on to submit or obtain the proper versions of the documents needed.
The present state of the art can be improved by providing processes which are less resource-intensive, do not rely on a conventional mailing system, and does not require paper to be generated. Also needed is a process that does not involve an indefinite system of obtaining the appropriate documentation relating to both processes.